Fifth Year Teacher: From Mentored to Mentoring!

This study examined a fifth year teacher, who had participated in an original project assessing the effectiveness of metaphor within collaborative reflection to help prospective teachers define, explain, and challenge their beliefs about learning and teaching science. Results found that using metaphor as a tool for reflection helped the teacher articulate beliefs and put them into practice during student teaching. The study investigated, after 5 years, the extent to which he continued using an inquiry stance, metaphor remained part of his personal reflection, and other changes impacted his learning to teach. Results indicated that he had found a reflection tool in metaphor, and the inquiry stance to go with it, to help him systematically study classroom problems and possibilities. He continued collaborative reflection within learning communities of new colleagues, who shared similar philosophies of teaching and learning and with a peer and roommate, who shared the context of first year teacher. He also continued using metaphor as a tool to maintain a student-centered focus. After several years, some critical events led to his becoming a teacher leader (e.g., supporting a new principal whom he knew, and developing a math innovation). He began using metaphor to a greater extent within the classroom to help students learn new ideas by connecting to familiar circumstances. (SM)